created and registered 'core' app for utilities, per tsd 1.11 recommendations

roomlist/core/admin.py

+from django.contrib import admin
+
+# Register your models here.

roomlist/core/apps.py

+from __future__ import unicode_literals
+
+from django.apps import AppConfig
+
+
+class CoreConfig(AppConfig):
+    name = 'core'

roomlist/core/models.py

+from __future__ import unicode_literals
+
+from django.db import models
+
+# Create your models here.

roomlist/core/tests.py

+from django.test import TestCase
+
+# Create your tests here.

roomlist/lib/utils.py → roomlist/core/utils.py

+# standard library imports
+from __future__ import absolute_import, print_function
+import random
+import re
+# core django imports
+from django.http import HttpResponseRedirect
+from django.contrib import messages
+from django.utils.safestring import mark_safe
+from django.template.loader import get_template
+from django.template import Context
+from django.core.mail import EmailMultiAlternatives
+from django.core.urlresolvers import reverse
+# third party imports
+from cas.views import login as cas_login
+# imports from your apps
+from accounts.models import Student
+
+
 def custom_cas_login(request, *args, **kwargs):
     """If a student has not completed the welcome walkthrough, go there on login."""
     response = cas_login(request, *args, **kwargs)
@@ -70,7 +88,6 @@ def no_nums(name):
     return no_numbers
 
 
-
 def get_semester(date):
     # months are between 1 and 12, inclusive
     semesters = {

roomlist/core/views.py

+from django.shortcuts import render
+
+# Create your views here.

roomlist/settings/settings.py

@@ -75,6 +75,7 @@ INSTALLED_APPS = (
     'housing',
     'accounts',
     'welcome',
+    'core',
     # packages
     'crispy_forms',
     'django_gravatar',